New Ulm weekly review., 1887-03-02
ing up, to whom / might ask leave to

Il -
OF the inn and thinking over matters,
when q CHEEKY voice hailed me, and
who should appear toiling up the
path leading from the valley but nv
old friend Burns, whom had not the
smallest idea that l should meet on
this side OF the Alps.
Burns was now 8 leading light of
the legal profession; he was even spok-
en- of mysteriously as future Judge,
but anything more unjudicial than his
manner in the Alps it was impossible
to imagine, and to me he was the same
admirable companion and friend that
he had ever been.
He had left q party OF friends at the
Italian lakes and had come "to do q
walk" as he termed it, in the noun
tains, and be had brought with him
temporarily a young Italian guide
named Antoine. and a porter. and he,
too, | found to my great satisfaction,
was bound for Zermatt by way of the
Lysjoch.
We decided, as a matter OF course,
to join forces. Burns porter was paid
OF and sent home. Antoine and nv
guide, Josef, were retained, and the
following morning we had started on
our expedition.
The weather had become doubtful
| soon after we had left the inn, but we
kept on, Notwithstanding, until we'll
on the glacier, and then too late, we
began to wish that we had had the
moral courage to turn back before.
For the guides had lost themselves.
They were neither of them frst-rate,
and, now difficulties began to thicken,
they proceeded to lose their head. In
fact, to such a pass did matters come
that Burns and myself had to assume
all responsibility.
The storm was raging furiously now,
not landmark was visible, and the
binding snow obliterated everything
10 add to our troubles, we found our.
selves without a compass, the only
member OF the party possessed of one
being Burns, and his he had broken
only the day before. We could not
thus tell even the direction in which
we ought to be going.
have heard OF persons lost in the
desert wandering for nine miles in g.
circle, so that they came back at last
to the very point from which they
started.
To those who have not experienced
1t, it is impossible to convey the feel
ing OF utter horelessness in such a case.
1t was fated we should feel it on that
day, for after many an hours weary
trudge, kneedeep in the soft snow, we
found that our labors had been in
vain, and we only returned again to
the tracks we had made before. Still,
almlessly as we might walk,it was nee
essary to keep moving, for to stand
still, and for any length of time, meant
to perish in that awful cold.
ave were white from head to foot
with the snow which had frozen upon
US, and had the occasion been less seri-
Gus, we could have laughed at the
strange appearance we presented.
Burns had assumed the lead. 1t had
been decided that he should 60 first on
the rope and myself last, Antoine and
josef between us, but as for knowing
where we were, it did not matter who
acted as leader.
On he went, and still on, till the
monotony became we'll nigh unendur-
able. No change, always the same
white waste about US, snow here,
there, everywhere, and falling all
around more heavily than ever. What
was to become of US if it continued?
We could not 60 on walking Indefinite.
| ly. Hour after hour went wearily
| by. -- ".
| The guides began to lose heart, and
cried to each other about their wives
and children. I, too, began to feel
not quite myself. But Burns, firmly
as ever, kept plodding forward, for
ward, forward. caught myself
thinking las they say drowning men
will do) of incidents of my past life, of
things which I failed to do, of things
which had done, but which it would
have been better had l left undone;
and then l thought Of a host of minor
matters which at such times seemed
positively trivial. Then my thoughts
ran on other Alpine expeditions, and
of that last one which we had made
| five years ago.
Strange! The scene of it was: close.
beside us now; for, though shut out
from sight by impenetrable mist, we
knew that the mighty form OF the
Lyskamm was towering somewhere
| above us, lost to sight among the
clouds. Even the day-August 18th
was the same. It seemed as if by a
strange irony of fate that scene OF our
escape might witness the closing scene
| of US. @
Then FRANCS words came. back to
me, and | caught myself suying aloud:
"Franz Franz! Oh, for one hour of
your guidance, and all would be we'll!
oh. that you could come back to,
earthlto redeem your promise!" And
as yet / spoke there was waited to-
ward US across the glacier a. voice,
clear and distinct even amid the whirl
and uproar OF the storm, a. voice said.
| "Herr, i comer'. ass 49,.
We had altered our course. Almost
insensibly felt it, but 1 was equally
certain that it, was so. looked
ahead. Burns was stillleading, butno
somehow the order had been changed.
thought that did not, see. Alright,
| for could not remember any altera-
tion being made in our positions on
/ the rope and vet it was quite certain